Carboy cushion



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Patented Nov. 19, 1935 UNITED STATES cAaBoY cUsmoN Richard w. Laney, Newminne, N. Y., ma

Harry A. Kast, Erie, Pa.,

assignors to American Cyalamid & Chemical Corporation, New Yor N.'Y., acorporation of Delaware Application vanni 19,1934, sei-iai No. 121,356

5 Claims.

The question of cushioning members tobe used for boxed carboys has beengiven considerable thought during the past few years but eachmanufacturer has arrived at a combination which he believes, to be mostefcient without, however, there being any standardized uniformity of thevarious types. At most it can be said that it is common practice todayto ship liquid materials in large bottles which are in turn packed inwooden cases withsome kind of cushioning means inv between the bottleand the casing. Every type of cushioning member ony the market today isopen to some objection. As a result, the Interstate Commerce Commission,having determined on no standard construction of cushioning member,vhave devised certain so-called swing tests l as-a standard of elciencywhich all boxed carboys `must pass interstate trade as a shippingcontainer for certain types of dangerous corrosive liquids. A study ofthese devices nowin use shows that they are made of almost every.conceivable kind of material. For instance, some-boxes contain Woodenslats between the box and the bottle. Others seat the bottle on blocksof cork either formed from a single integral section or from groundwaste material secured together by suitable binders. Other manufacturersuse aggregates.;of;.cork bound together with such materials as asphaltor other semi-plastic substances.

vIt .has been found through experimentation over a. considerable period,that all of these materials are open to objection.

Spring wooden slats areobjectionable from the y standpoint that theirshock absorbing capacity is small, far from uniform, and are subject tocontraction and expansion when exposed to moisture.

Cork is objectionable from the standpoint that it has large permanentdeformations under pressure. This material is also unsatisfactory inthat it does not provide a sufficient cushioning effect and has suchquick rebound as to make it entirely undesirable.

Ordinary rubber has been tried without suc-y before they will beaccepted in` cess, by reason c! the fact that the materials heretoforeemployed have either been too elastic, not elastic enough, or its ageresisting qualities have been so low as to make it entirely unsuitablefor this purpose. The usual types of rubber also become unduly hard whenbrought in contact with acid. In carboys in which acid is stored orshipped, this contact cannot be entirely avoided for when portions ofthe contents of a bottle are removed, there is always some drip and thisquantity runs down the inside of the bottle, contacts vwith the rubbercushions, with the above detrimental effect.

Particles of cork embedded in asphalt or other semi-plastic materials ofthis type are objectionable from the standpointy that under extreme.weather conditions their capacity to absorb shocks is so modied as torender them useless. For instance, at 0 F. an asphaltic combinationbecomes so brittle as to lose its ability to absorb 20 shocks, whereasat 100 F. the asphal-ticingredient becomes so soft as topermit rdefinitepositive deformation to takeplace. It is, of course, recv ognizedthat-temperatures o f 0 F. and 100 F. are normal temperatures within thelife `of a carboy. This material is also objectionablein thatinacomparatively short period of time, it loses its tackiness and henceseparates lfrom the bottle, and crumbles. 1 One of the principal prolems confronting these applicants .therefore was to discover a materialand to construct a boxed carboy using the same whichwould not be open tothe above objections. It might be here said that the most diflicultproblem to overcome was the discovery of a material Whose eiilciencywould be substantially unimpaired through normaichanges in tempera-Ature and/ or humidity.

With the above objects in mind,l the invention contemplates a cushioningmember and'its use in a boxed carboy, of a material which has a highcapacity to absorb shocks, slow recoil, age resisting qualities, wherethose properties remain substantially unchanged at temperatures betweenl0 1'". and 100 F.

Among the materials found most suitable for this purpose areunvulcanized, reclaimed rubber either cast in one piece or formed as alaminated section, and ground cork or otherillling material, theindividual particles of which are encased in rubber so that the combinedmaterialhas the above properties. It is understood, course, that theseare merely examples of material found suitable and reference thereto isnot to be considered in a limiting sense. The real test as to whether amaterial is suitable is to subject a boxed carboy containing cushionsthereof, to the standardized I. C. C. swing tests at from l". to 100 F.If they stand a swing test of 55 inches or more without bottle breakage,then they are satisfactory for the purpose.

ing, a satisfactory form of carboy box is shown to consistofabottom Iandsidewalislof woodor the like suitably nailed together to form an openbox. Triangular corner .posts I are normally used to give the necessaryreinforcement.

It is preferred to mount on the bottom I, wooden cross pieces 4 and l,the latter over the former, each being provided with a recess near itsextremities to receive a cushioning block l, which extends beyond theperiphery of the, bottle.

Similar upright sections 1 are provided with upper and lower cushioningblocks 0. It is preferable that on one side of the box'the uprights 1 besecureddirectlytothecornerpostslasbynailsortheliketandthattheoppositetwouprightsremainunconnectedtothecornerposts. Bhims.oriillerpieceslmaybeprovidedfor insertionbetweenacornerpostiandanupright ltotake upanyplayandtoinsureatightfit.4

It has been'found that the 'most satisfactory material -of whichcushioning blocks I maybe made are unvulcanized, reclaimed rubber.Reclaimed rubber has a distinct status in the art. It

is cheap. 'I'here is almost an unlimited supply available and 'it may bereadily cast into blocks of the desired shape or size or may be built upfrom sheets into a laminated structure. Perhaps the cast block is moredesirable. than the laminated block, due to the fact that there is notendency for the laminations to separate. These blocks l maybe setloosely within the recesses .madeto receive them ortheymaybesecuredinplace as desired. .A The Manufacturing'Chemists Association has recentlydeveloped a 13 gal. glass bottle for the shipment of certain liquidmaterials. This is refered to as the Manufacturing Chemists Associationstandard 13 gal. bottle. There are many characteristics of this bottlewhich make ity desirable from a shipping standpoint, although for thepurpose of this invention any type bottle may be used.

Blocks i having been designed of a sise and shape which will mosteffectively fill out the space between the bottle and the box and whichwill have sumcient volume to insure the desired cushioning effect, abottle is set within the box and upon the four blocks 8, resting on thebottom thereof. 'I'he two loose members I arethen inserted and thedesired number of shims I added to insure tight packing of the bottle.The usual apertured top isthen nailed in place.

Unvulcanised, reclaimed rubber is particularly eifective for thispurposein that it hasa high capacity to absorb shocks, is elastic, ithas a slow rate of recoil which thereby eliminates whip, whichimmediately follows lshock absorption; it has a s high degree of ageresistance and these properties remain substantially unchanged attemperatures ranging-from 0 r. to 100 r. obviously the samecharacteristics are present in a composite block made of flllermaterialsuch as ground cork,

where the individual particles are coated with this material, wherethere is suillcient of this unvulcanized reclaimed 4rubber to give thenecessary cushioning effect.

lAnother property peculiar to this material is 1Ithatithasanormallytackysurface. Asare-. suit, once thebottle rests uponthe blocks at the bottom of the box and the side blocks are wedged inagainst the bottle, there is a more or less permanent adherence betweenthe bottle and blocks which makes unnecessary any extraneous fasteningmeans. This adherence between ythe block and the bottle serves thedistinct purpose of'deflnitely preventing slippage of the blocks afterthey have once been put in the proper location and also tends to pullthe bottle back to the location which it occupied before shock, thusassisting the recoil from the block on the opposite side.y

obviously um adherent quality vmay be ensei hanced by softening thesurface of a rubber block with'bensene or some other similar salt whichwill permit a cementing or adhering action to take place.

- Actual tests have indicated that unvulcanizedllIJ reclaimed rubberused as above described with the H. C. A. standard 13 gal. bottle. havewith- 'stood' the Interstate Commerce Commission swing test of 55 inchesat various temperatures ranging from 0 F. to 100 F., showing conclusive-M 1y that the desirable properties of this material remain substantiallyunchanged over that range. We claim':

1. carboy comprising in combination a box,

a frangible bottle therein, homogeneous cushioning members of reclaimedrubber between the bottle and the box, said cushioning members having ahigh capacity to absorb shocks. slow recoil and high age resistingabilities. all of said properties remaining substantially unchanged attemperatures between 0". F. and 100 F., said carboy being capable ofsuccessfully withstanding aA swing test according to the I. C. C.shipping container standards of not less than inches.

2. A carboy comprising in combination a box, 5.5:

a frangible bottle therein and homogeneous cushioning members ofreclaimed rubber between the bottle and the box.

3. The combination of claim '2 in which the rubber cushions areunvulcanized.

4. The combination of claim 2 in which the cushions are adherent to thebottle.

5. 'Ihe combination of claim 2 in which the cushions are adherent to thebottle by reason of the tacky nature of the surfaces of said cushions.

RICHARD W. LAHL'Y. HARRY A. KAST.

